Survive and thrive: Gastropub goes takeout as punters enjoy the bar from afar
London’s businesses have been forced to weather a storm they never saw coming, but many have pivoted to new ways of doing business.
Today, Heath Ball – owner and landlord at Highgate gastropub The Red Lion & Sun – tells us about his new delivery service, dropping off wine to the park, and the future for pubs in the ‘new normal’
The lockdown has been a hugely stressful and unprecedented time for people all across the UK; working and owning a business in the hospitality sector has only heightened this. That being said, if you take a step back from the personal impact of having a business in this sector, it has been quite incredible to witness how a very traditional industry has pivoted in order to not only survive, but thrive.
At The Red Lion and Sun, we have had to learn how to create a take away offering entirely from scratch, with no experience, whilst holding firm with our dedication to quality and consistency that our customers have come to expect. We’ve now got a takeaway and delivery service in place that could well run alongside our usual business after lockdown ends, something I never anticipated being able to execute so well.
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I’m in no doubt that pubs and restaurants will be amongst the last businesses to re-open in their original form, but it’ll be interesting to see how the guidelines put in place will impact us; I think the answer is greatly.
I don’t see how social distancing in a pub is fundamentally possible, particularly as pubs tend to be high turnover and low margin businesses. Another key consideration must be whether the public will have the confidence to return in numbers? A recent study conducted by Ipsos Mori showed that more that 60% of Britons would be uncomfortable going out to bars and restaurants or using public transport. What I believe more likely is it that consumers will want to continue their relationship with the Great British Pub via takeaway.
I think many people have found working from home to be more practical than they thought possible and actually have a wealth of benefits. That being said, I know a few people have caught a tan from the fridge light and been tempted to prise a cork earlier than when in commuter mode. If indeed the trend for home working continues, we may well see the pub hosting more informal meetings, being a sanctuary for parents trying to get work done once children are back at school. Either way, high functioning wi-fi will be more important than ever.
As a business, we’re lucky that we don’t rely too much on networking and professional lunches at present and we have a solid trade that we’ve built over the years, across all age groups and cohorts of professionals. I believe our client base has broadened since we launched takeaway pints and meals. People are willing to travel further and thanks to our location on Hampstead Heath, we have London’s largest beer garden on our doorstep.
When lockdown was announced, we had to make a number of decisions that would hugely impact our business and staff – decisions we could have never prepared for. I was determined to keep my staff in jobs and keep my business running. Pivoting our business to this extent has been a real challenge but hugely rewarding. We know our customers and understanding that group of people was instrumental in reading public sentiment and offering something that was in demand.
In the near to medium term pubs will be a little quieter than we would expect moving into the summer months. What we will see in this period may look like a hybrid of traditional pubs with eat-in and take away working alongside each other.
There will be pubs that will come back stronger with new levels of customer loyalty and I predict they will be the ones that have carefully managed their business pre-lockdown as well as having demonstrated the tenacity to adapt. It will also be those that have continued to treat their staff and suppliers well; people need to remember it’s not just the operators that have been impacted here but entire supply chains.